Three venues along the western waterfront are opening, reopening or taking on new identities, bringing theatre, musical theatre, opera, dance and cultural programming to a stretch of Queens Quay that has traditionally been better known for its views of Lake Ontario.
From October through November, Torontonians can see a new Canadian musical at The Terminal Theatre, catch the Shaw Festival’s first Toronto residency at Harbourfront Centre, and watch an acclaimed Irish theatre company launch a brand-new venue.
Taken together, the three venues are giving the waterfront a new cultural energy and creating something that has been missing from the area: reasons to come down after dark for a night at the theatre.
The Terminal Theatre
At 207 Queens Quay West, the Queens Quay Terminal building is home to the newly established Terminal Theatre, a 446-seat performing arts venue.
We knew this theatre as the Fleck Dance Theatre, amongst other names. In addition to theatre, the venue is also the new home of the Toronto City Opera, which is taking up a two-year residency.
The theatre is showcasing a mix of musical theatre, opera, dance and contemporary performance.
The first major production is Dancer: A Musical in Ten Furlongs, running from Oct. 6 to Nov. 1. The original Canadian musical tells the story of Northern Dancer, the Canadian-bred racehorse who became one of the most famous horses in racing history after winning the 1964 Kentucky Derby.
The production combines musical theatre, dance and rock concert elements, with choreography by Emmy Award nominee Stacey Tookey, of So You Think You Can Dance fame, and Keanu Uchida playing Northern Dancer.
In November there will be the Toronto City Opera production of the classic La bohème. Puccini’s beloved opera runs Nov. 27 to 29.
Shaw comes to Harbourfront
A short walk west, at 231 Queens Quay West, the stage at Harbourfront Centre is also retooling for an exciting next chapter.
Formerly known as the Harbourfront Centre Theatre, the venue has been renamed The Fleck as part of a new multi-year partnership with the Shaw Festival. The arrangement brings the Niagara-on-the-Lake theatre company into Toronto for a three-year artistic residency.
It is a significant addition to the city’s theatre calendar, particularly for people who love the Shaw Festival but do not always make the trip to Niagara-on-the-Lake.
The residency begins with Sleuth, Anthony Shaffer’s classic psychological thriller, running from Oct. 16 to Nov. 1. The cat-and-mouse story centres on a mystery writer and his wife’s lover, setting the two men against each other in a game of manipulation and deception.
Then, Toronto finally gets a top-tier production of A Christmas Carol, which has been missing in the city since Soulpepper canned its version so many years ago. Shaw’s rendition of the holiday classic runs from Nov. 12 through Dec. 23 and puts a distinctly theatrical spin on Dickens’s familiar tale: Expect puppetry, ghosts, traditional carols and audience participation.
The Shaw residency continues into the new year, with a third production scheduled to run from January 22 to February 21, 2027.
A new Irish cultural hub
Then there is the Corleck, a brand-new cultural venue taking shape at 3 Eireann Quay, beside Ireland Park and just south of Billy Bishop Airport in the shadow of the iconic malting silos.
The $20-million project, led by the Canada Ireland Foundation, has transformed the historic former Canada Malting Company office building into a 9,600-square-foot arts and cultural centre.
The Corleck is designed to be more than a theatre. The space includes classrooms, community areas, a year-round café and a performance space intended for theatre, opera, music and film.
Its official theatrical opening comes in November, when Ireland’s Druid Theatre Company arrives for the Canadian premiere of Samuel Beckett’s Endgame (photo at top).
The production runs from Nov. 18 to 28 and gives the new venue a suitably prestigious opening. Beckett was born in Dublin and is one of Ireland’s most influential playwrights, while Druid has played a major role in bringing Irish theatre to audiences around the world.
The three venues are very different, but their proximity is what makes the transformation particularly interesting.
For Toronto, this is more than simply a handful of new shows.
The city, despite the best efforts of certain politicians, has spent decades trying to reconnect itself with Lake Ontario, transforming the waterfront from a no-go zone into a place where people actually want to spend their time. The focus has understandably been on parks, public spaces, restaurants, trails, cycling routes and access to the water.
Arts and culture are another part of that equation. Exciting times down at the lake.